India’s homegrown ice cream scene is anything but vanilla

It’s a pretty crazy world we live in these days. Monkeys are getting bullied, matcha is finding its way into everything (including biryani), AI fruit slop is flooding our feeds, and somewhere, someone is happily digging into a meetha paan sundae.

Don’t get me wrong—we are thrilled Indian scoop shops have entered the chat. As the heatwave refuses to let up, they are giving us plenty of ways to cool down, with flavours that range from nostalgic to slightly questionable. From Japanese taiyaki waffles and crisp tacos stuffed with slabs of ice cream to savoury sorbets flavoured with masala chhaas, curry patta, and inji puli, homegrown ice cream spots are really having fun with it.

Of course, the mango—fresh off its Met Gala moment—has made its way into cones and cups everywhere—think Lavonne’s mango tres leches, Indu Ice Cream’s indulgent alphonso ice cream with a rich mango compote, or Corner House’s tart yet buttery mango passionfruit cone.

Here’s a list of Indian scoop shops that are serving some of the coolest flavours of the season.

Mumbai

Bengaluru

Hyderabad

Surat

Chennai

Indu Ice Cream, Mumbai

You have probably seen founder and chef Saloni Kukreja whipping up quick desserts and fixes for your sugar cravings online. With Indu Ice Cream, which has grown from delivery-only to a cosy store on Bandra’s Pali Road—she’s on a mission to make Indian flavours in ice creams cool again.

Served in matkas, Indu’s summer treats are not your conventional ice creams. Think masala chhaas and kala khatta sorbets with their house masala, or aamras ice cream that comes layered with a rich alphonso compote. The classics are just as indulgent—from the salted caramel tender coconut ice cream to the hazelnut ice cream paired with a warm Nutella cookie.

For Kukreja, this is only the start. “This is the beginning for Indian artisanal foods and flavours and I am really excited to be part of the journey.” And as a sweet little bonus, every order comes with a Jaipur-inspired block-print cloth you can keep.

MeeMee’s, Mumbai

Crunchy taco waffles stuffed with ice cream, dipped in a chocolate glaze, and finished with playful crumbles—that’s the kind of dessert magic you will find at MeeMee’s. The folks here believe that ice cream is a necessity, especially their much-loved Toasties.

Their bestsellers include sea salt caramel, Vietnamese iced coffee, and brown butter almond Toasties, alongside a timeless tiramisu Tubster and bite-sized Roleys for summer cravings. Operating primarily on delivery, MeeMee’s lets you order straight from their website or via Swiggy or Zomato.

Ittusa, Mumbai

Good things do come in little packages, and Ittusa proves that with their adorable bite-sized ice lollies, which are vegan-friendly, contain no added sugar, and pack only 25 calories—making it indulgent in just the right amounts. The flavours are nostalgic favourites, like guava chilli, shikanji mint, Strawberry Delight (a crowd favourite), kala khatta, and alphonso.

Founder Tushar Bhor says, “For us it’s about delivering consistency, improving quality over time by prioritising clean ingredients to elevate familiar tastes.” The bite-sized format of these ice lollies is curated for the mindfully indulgent. The team is also experimenting with newer flavours, like black coffee and orange, along with fun toppings. Orders can be placed on their website, Swiggy, and Zomato.

Kold Karobar, Mumbai

At Kold Karobar, tucked in Bandra’s Ranwar Village, the ice cream flavours are far from run-of-the-mill. There’s black sesame and watermelon basil, pineapple jalapeno, lemon olive oil, inji puli, miso caramel, and, wait for it, a curry-patta-flavoured scoop.

Pranshu Poddar seems to have turned his childhood dream of becoming Willy Wonka into reality, now running one of Bandra’s coolest little ice cream factories churning quirky but flavourful scoops for the curious crowd.

Noto, Mumbai

If you are cutting back on sugar or simply want a lighter yet indulgent dessert, Noto has you covered. Their crowd favourites include strawberry pop, hazelnut crunch bars, berry shortcakes, vanilla minis, and their bestselling ice cream tacos, available in flavours like cold coffee, sweet berry, rich chocolate, and crunchy caramel. You can order these guilt-free treats from the Noto website or via Swiggy and Zomato.

Batch 06, Mumbai

There’s no way you have escaped the Reels—everyone’s obsessing over Batch 06’s hyper-realistic ice creams right now. Tucked inside Mathuradas Mill Compound, this south Mumbai cloud kitchen is serving ice creams that look exactly like fruits. Very LA core. Started by friends Gettika Anand and Sanket Thakur, Batch 06’s ice creams are straight-up fruit in disguise. Their banana-shaped ice cream? Banana-raspberry flavour. The peanut-shaped one? Creamy and nutty. And while the fruit-shaped desserts are getting all the attention, according say their hand-churned ice creams are equally good.

Corner House, Bengaluru

Since 1982, Corner House has remained one of the city’s most loved ice cream spots—queues outside the store are almost guaranteed, but it’s all worth it. Their legendary Death by Chocolate still ranks among the city’s best desserts. The menu is packed with crowd-favourite sundaes: Cafe Caramel for the filter kaapi lovers, apple crumble, hot chocolate fudge, and refreshing summer picks like mango passionfruit and Midnight Mint. Despite not changing its menu for over four decades, the establishment proves not everything needs a trendy twist.

Amara Dessert, Bengaluru

Missed out on the taste of homemade halwa or the post-meal paan ritual? Amara has taken on the onus of introducing younger crowds to these flavours in a fun format—ice cream. Founder Edwin Daniel says, “For years, many of India’s most iconic cold desserts have stayed limited to their regions, like meetha paan from Benaras or gudbud from Udupi, not because they aren’t loved but because they haven’t travelled beyond their local roots. Our approach is to take these familiar flavours and present them in a way that feels new and accessible.” That explains their chikki ice creams, a meetha paan sundae, and Udupi gadbad.

Amara’s summer special includes a newly launched mango series, with a Maharaja mango kulfi falooda, desi mango cream bowl, and an alphonso kulfi shake.

LICK, Bengaluru

For those who like their dessert a little extra, Lavonne Ice Cream Kitchen, or LICK as it’s popularly known, serves up indulgent scoops and toppings. Their summer menu shows us the different ways you can enjoy mango—sorbets, tres leches, and even beverages for the matcha lover, like mango tender coconut lime, berry oat, and even a passion fruit spritz boba for those not over that fad yet. Their gourmet gelato flavours featuring popular choices like The Ultimate Pistachio, pecan pie, and s’mores. Their Red Fruit Picante and Pepper and Cashew are inspired by the way Indian kitchens balance heat and richness. According to co-founder Avin Thaliath, these flavours turn reluctant tasters to regulars in just a scoop’s time. “People often come for the familiar but end up trying something new alongside.” For Thaliath, that’s the reward.

Tai Tai Creamery, Hyderabad

Why wait to try taiyakis in Japan when you can head to Tai Tai instead. Led by founder Sindhu Sriramoju, this women-led dessert spot in Jubilee Hills has built a loyal following for its playful take on the Japanese fish-shaped waffle. Their taiyakis come stuffed with fillings like Nutella, milk chocolate, custard, strawberry, and white chocolate and are topped with signature swirls in flavours like cereal milk, strawberry, lychee, chocolate, and vanilla. And to keep things interesting, once in a while the sweet shop will experiment with trendy flavours like ube, keeping dessert lovers coming back for more.

Churnd IceCream, Surat

At Churnd, childhood favourites like Little Hearts, Bourbon, Parle G, and Hide&Seek get an upgrade into ice cream sandwiches that hit the nostalgic notes.

The menu is packed with creations like Ferrero Rocher cannoli and yuzu Biscoff ice cream, pina colada sorbet, vegan berry misu ice cream, and lemon pistachio froyo. But the real showstopper might be their butter croissant sundae, a flaky croissant layered with hazelnut mascarpone cream cheese topped with cold coffee ice cream and finished with a dusting of cocoa.

Amadora, Chennai

Since it opened in a bungalow in a quiet lane in Wallace Garden, off the buzzy Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam, in 2012, Amadora remains one of Chennai’s most loved gourmet ice cream spots. (They’ve now also opened in Bengaluru.) Started by Engineering graduate Deepak Suresh, it’s the spot you go to for a late-night craving. Mami’s Filter Coffee remains their most popular flavour. However, before you scream basic, please do try their five-bean vanilla; it’s the sort of ice cream you always keep in your fridge and experiment with by throwing in your own ingredients (try it with sea salt flakes and olive oil). They have baked goods too—the underbaked brownie is chef’s kiss—but it’s the ice cream you’ll go back for.